


Unexpected

by OfficialStarsandGutters



Series: NVCBS [3]
Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-19
Updated: 2013-12-19
Packaged: 2018-01-05 05:15:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1090030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OfficialStarsandGutters/pseuds/OfficialStarsandGutters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Following on from chapter 18. Cecil has stirred doubts within Earl about Kevin, so he decides it's time he meets Kevin's parents.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unexpected

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this more or less finished for a while now, and I've debated uploading because I'm not completely happy with it. I've decided to stick it up anyway as a sort of accompaniment for the main story, and a bit of foreshadowing for Cecil's next chapter.

Earl can't stop thinking about it now. About the whole thing with Carlos and Kevin, and what Cecil said. He barely pays attention in his classes. The thoughts are constantly gnawing at his mind. 

If Kevin's under some kind of influence, then has any of this even been real? If they fix it, will he even recognise Earl, let alone like him? It's terribly selfish of him, he knows, but a part of him wishes Cecil had never dragged him into this. He and Kevin are happy. Earl is happy, properly, for the first time in so long.

He should have known it was too good to be true.

He looks up and catches Cecil glancing at him across the room. He looks tired. He looks sick. Mostly, he looks worried out of his mind, and Earl feels an ache in his chest to see Cecil like that. He looks down at his books and tries to think about what they're going to do. Cecil hasn't said as much, but Earl knows he will have to find out more about Kevin. He doesn't really want to. He just wants things to go back to the way they were.

He glances up at Cecil again, who is staring fixedly ahead, ignoring Carlos, who is whispering to him. He slides his phone from his pocket beneath the desk and sends a message to Kevin.

Are you busy after school? x

*

Earl meets Kevin at the edge of town. Kevin smiles and pulls him close, presses a sweet kiss to his mouth and Earl, in that moment, is thoroughly convinced that Cecil is wrong. Nothing is the matter with his sweet and caring Kevin. Nothing could be the matter.

“Darling Earl, I'm so glad you got in touch. I've been just dying to see you again.”

When he speaks, Earl can't help but notice how his tone is always cheery and upbeat, just like Cecil said. Just the way Carlos' voice now lifts and flows. And his eyes, well, Earl wasn't lying, he has seen stranger things, but he's never seen anyone with eyes like Kevin before.

“Is something the matter?” Kevin asks, and around his eyes crinkles in concern, but there is no emotion within the eyes themselves. They are just two dark holes, Earl realises. Like Kevin's pupils have bled out across his irises.

“No, nothing. I'm just a bit tired, is all. Long day.” Earl forces a smile and takes Kevin's hand. It's comforting, regardless of the situation, to have their fingers linked together. Kevin smiles and squeezes his hand lightly. “Let's go for a walk.”

They make small talk back and forth as they walk. Kevin asks about his day, how his classes are going, and keeps up a constant stream of inquiries while Earl gives brief answers. He's interrupted by a loud, aggressive hissing. The two boys stop and look to see one of Josie's angels hovering nearby. The angel is the source of the hissing sound, like a feral cat. Angry. Defensive.

It is directed towards Kevin.

“Oh, my. Hello,” says Kevin. The angel wails in response. “Aw, I think he likes me.”

Earl is pretty sure that that is the opposite of the truth. He gives the angel a wary glance. His ear drums are beginning to ache from the wailing. Earl tugs Kevin along, wanting to get away. The sound follows them all the way to the park.

“Oh, my! Was that an angel? I've never seen one before. They sure are beautiful, aren't they? Not as beautiful as you, though, my darling. You're my very own angel.”

“Kevin, what are your parents like?”

Earl fires the words out sudden and abrupt, before he can regret them. He doesn't look at Kevin, staring off across the park and trying to feign nonchalance. They've come to a stop beneath a cluster of trees at the edge of Grove Park, far away enough from the path that they shouldn't be overheard. Except by the Sheriff's Secret Police officer crouched in the branches above their heads, but that is to be expected.

“Oh, well, like most hard working citizens, I suppose. Very dedicated to their business production. My mom makes great blood berry pie. You should try it sometime.”

This, is not exactly what Earl was expecting. He glances towards Kevin with a little frown, but Kevin only grins back at him.

“Do you have a picture of them?”

“Oh. Not with me, no. I'll bring one for you to see next time though, okay?”

“Yeah, alright.” Earl will just have to wait then. Kevin could be lying. He doesn't seem to be lying, though. Not that Earl is very good at recognising if someone is lying or not. He just wants things to be the way they were. He doesn't want to be paranoid and scared around Kevin.

“Was there any particular reason you were asking?”

“No. It's just, y'know, you've met my parents. I was wondering what yours were like. Just curious.” Earl chews his lip and looks away, unable to meet those dark eyes. Kevin chuckles and gives his hand a light squeeze.

“I think it's a bit early for me to be bringing you home. I mean, we haven't been dating that long, but if you think-”

“No. Oh, void, no. That's not- I wasn't trying to-” Earl can feel the familiar heat flood his face. He spends more time blushing around Kevin than anything else.

“Relax, my sweet. I would never force you to do anything you don't want to do.”

“Do you promise that?”

“I promise.”

“Okay. Good.”

“But you are welcome to come over this weekend, if you'd like. They should be home on Saturday evening. You could come early and I could show you my city, since you have taken the time to make me so familiar with yours.”

Kevin lifts Earl's hand to his mouth and brushes his lips feather light along Earl's knuckles. Any cautious thinking rushes from Earl's mind, and he is completely charmed by the simple but genuine show of affection.

“I would like that very much.”

“Then it shall be so,” Kevin says, smiling and using his hold on Earl to pull him closer. Their lips meet sweetly in the middle and Earl forgets about Cecil and Carlos and everyone else.

*

Kevin meets Earl at their usual halfway point that Saturday. Earl is, well, he is really quite nervous, if he's honest. He's never had a boyfriend before, let alone met a boyfriend's parents. It seems like an awfully big deal. Sure, Kevin has met his parents, but that was before they were a thing. There is something distinctly different about it. Earl knows this.

If Kevin senses his nerves, he makes no comment, although he does seem to do his best to put Earl at ease. It's difficult to tell, though. Kevin is always so sweet.

They spend the morning walking around the city. Kevin takes him to a pony petting station, and Earl spends his time trying to avoid the saliva dripping fangs of their pony, who keeps snapping at his fingers.

“Aw, bless, she's taken to you already.” Kevin smiles across at Earl, running his fingers through the spiked mane of the animal.

Afterwards Kevin excitedly leads Earl to his favourite frozen yoghurt shop.

“This is where I came before our first date. You remember?”

“I remember,” Earl assures him, and Kevin kisses him, lips cold and sweet.

They walk through the city as they eat their yoghurt, and Earl is surprised at how empty it is. Night Vale always seems to be buzzing with life, but they meet very few people on the streets. Kevin takes him by a deserted park, past several large factories and to the edge of town. He points out the windmills in the wasteland, the curious shapes of the sand dunes, and what appears to be several skeletons half buried in the sand. He chatters on about this and that. About the new fountain they're getting in the centre of town, about the weak points in the Vultures current strategy, about his plans for the scouts in the next few weeks.

On the way back Earl begins to feel nervous again. Kevin takes his hand as they're walking, fingers cold, but comforting all the same. Earl doesn't know what he is expecting. Doesn't know what to expect, really. Doesn't know if he should be expecting anything at all. Kevin turns to him outside of his house, kissing him sweetly and smiling reassuringly.

“They're going to love you.”

Earl follows him up the path, and his stomach is churning violently. Kevin steps through the door and a female voice comes from down the hall.

“Kevin, is that you, darling?”

“Yes. I've brought Earl with me.”

“Oh, Earl dear, we've heard a lot about you.” A woman appears from the kitchen, rubbing her stained red fingers on her red smeared apron. "It's so nice that Kevin's found someone that makes him so happy."

The moment Earl lays eyes on her he feels his stomach drop, and his legs almost give out on him.

He doesn't know what he was expecting, but it was not this.


End file.
